Yosef Almogi announced today that the second World Conference on Soviet Jewry held in Brussels last week would be followed up within the next two or three months by a meeting of presidium and steering committee members in Jerusalem. Almogi, who is chairman of the World Zionist Organization Executive, said he planned to convene the meeting in his capacity of chairman of Brussels II to review what has been accomplished on behalf of Soviet Jews and draw up plans for further action.
Brussels II decided that its presidium and steering committee would act as a continuing body to implement the decisions of the conference. Almogi made his announcement on his return here from five weeks abroad which included a visit to the U.S., participation in the Brussels conference where he presided and attendance at meetings of the World Jewish Congress Executive in Paris and the Jewish Agency Executive in London.
Almogi expressed hope that Brussels II would bring about changes in the Soviet attitude toward Russians Jews as a result of the pressure of world opinion and that the Soviet authorities would ease procedures for those Jews who want to emigrate to Israel. According to Almogi, Brussels II enjoyed world-wide media exposure, almost all of it favorable.
He said, in reply to questions, that the Jewish Agency would look into the problem of “yordim” and would propose action to change that situation. He said he hoped the Israeli government would also study the problem and take steps to reduce the number of “yordim.”
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